Benefits of “All At Once” Dental Work

You have several teeth that need work. Should you spread it out over time or is there an advantage to getting your treatment all at once? “There are two reasons to choose a comprehensive plan,” says Dr. Carol Ford from her Phoenix office. “The first is functional and the second is cosmetic. Both are important, but for different reasons,” she adds.

Teeth that are slightly overcrowded or turned can be restructured to be straight. A crowned tooth is always measured in relationship to the existing teeth. By considering other crowded teeth, the crowns, measured and put into position over time, could eventually sit in a mouth with a collapsing bite. In other words, your teeth might not mesh evenly over time.

Teeth that don’t match and mesh don’t chew evenly. “It’s not just your mouth health,” Dr. Ford explains ”Teeth that don’t mesh and grind properly can affect your whole digestion.” Getting the teeth fixed in one comprehensive plan can create a bitter fit and bite, resulting in a gleaming smile that looks good to others and works well for your digestion, too.

The cosmetic reason is also important. If you buy yarn, tile, or separates like a jacket and slacks, you know that you buy them together because the colors are died in “lots”—material died with the same dye so the colors match exactly. If you wait and buy the same color number but with different lot numbers, the colors can vary slightly. If the variation is visible—for example, in a knit sweater or a room with a tiled floor—you want all the color to be exactly the same. Even a slight variation will ruin the finished look.

The same is true of filling material or tooth enamel color. Get a veneer on one tooth this year, and another tooth done next year and the colors can vary. Even if your dentist uses the same enamel color, a slight variation can occur. “A smile that’s the same color across all the teeth seems larger and brighter,” says Dr. Ford. Just like you want a floor done in all one dye lot, you want your veneers and crowns done in the same enamel color lot. That means there is a definite advantage in getting all the veneers and crowns done at once.